A Witch In Trollzopolis
by Robert Teague
Summary: In Potionology class, Amaryl tries to pull a spell prank on Mirta, but it goes wrong, leaving the half-witch missing with memory loss and in danger of dying. Can the BFFL find and help her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

A Witch in Trollzopolis

by Robert Teague

This story was written for the entertainment of Winx Club and Trollz fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note: This is a semi-sequel to "Fairies and Trollz Together". I had trouble juggling ten major characters in that story, so wanted to do one with a lot fewer. Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Amaryl, I'm not sure this is a good idea," said Kimmy. She was walking with the other student fairy along with their roommate Ahisa to Professor Palladium's Potionology class.

It was during the day between classes, and the classroom wing of Alfea was crowded with other students who were walking along, talking with each other, or checking notes, or hurrying on some other business.

"It's just a harmless prank," said Amaryl, looking with annoyance at her friend.

"Maybe, but what if something goes wrong?" asked Ahisa. "You could get in major trouble."

Amaryl waved her hand in dismissal. "Nothing is going to go wrong. I've practiced this, and I know what ingredients will be used for the lesson. She'll be turned blue for a couple of hours, that's all."

"But Mirta's a witch! What if she finds out you did it, and gets revenge?" asked Kimmy, "Plus she's our roommate. Did you think about that?"

"Ah, I can handle her," answered Amaryl. "Besides, if she's too much of a wimp to make it at Cloud Tower, what's she going to do as a fairy?"

Ahisa and Kimmy exchanged a look.

"Am, I happen to like Mirta. She's really sweet and is doing her best to fit in here," said Kimmy.

"Yeah," added Ahisa.

Amaryl, gave an exasperated and exaggerated sigh. "I know. Look, I like her too. But if she can't handle a harmless joke, she shouldn't try to become a fairy!"

Kimmy shook her head. "You're just too stubborn for your own good. Remember last year when you turned that plasma sphere on Stella, and Palladium stopped you and dumped all that extra homework on you for it?"

"That's not going to happen this time. I know what I'm doing!" was the response.

Ahisa stopped walking, and the other two did as well. "For the record, count me out." She crossed her arms and looked defiant.

"Me too," agreed Kimmy, nodding. "I don't like the odds. I know you're determined to pull something on her, but you should really rethink this. It's not the time or place."

"Fine. You two sit it out. Just don't say anything," said Amaryl.

"What's the point? You're going to do it one way or the other," said Ahisa.

"Got that right. Now let's get to class," said Amaryl, and led the way down the corridor.

The friends got to Professor Palladium's class in plenty of time, settling into their usual seats. The classroom was reminiscent of a high school's chemistry room on Earth, except that here the jars and glassware were filled with magic powders and liquids.

Other students came in behind them, talking and settling in. A few looked worried about the class, but most were relaxed.

Mirta was the last into the room. She found fairy potions to be just as hard as witches brews to understand and make. In fact, she thought she had it a little easier with brews.

She sat down at the table near the middle of the room, greeting the girls who were sitting on either side of her. She spotted Kimmy, Amaryl, and Ahisa near the back, and waved. The greeting was returned by all three. Being new to Alfea and a witch meant that some students were wary of her. But being friends with the Winx helped a lot. She was determined to show everyone that just because she was a witch, it didn't mean she was evil or anything.

Another minute and Palladium came in, taking his place behind the desk. He had undergone a makeover during the summer, and was a lot better looking now, but he was still Palladium and not very well respected by the students.

"Class, let's settle down, we have an important experiment today," he announced.

Mirta and one or two others stopped talking and looked at him, but the rest continued with what they were doing.

"Class..." he said, a little louder, but with no result.

"Class!" he said, even louder, but again nothing changed. He sighed, knowing it was going to be a hard session.

Mirta looked around, annoyed. This was important, and she wanted to do well. She turned back to the teacher, and discreetly got his attention. Her hand glowed a soft orange, and she tilted her head, obviously asking for permission. He froze for a second, then nodded.

Mirta swiftly moved her hand up, and the glow left it, flying up to the ceiling as a jagged ball of magic. When it got there, it suddenly expanded, covering the entire room and all the students. The darkness of the magic got their attention, and after a few seconds the glow died away. All eyes went to Mirta, who smirked and pointed at the teacher. Every student looked at him.

"Thank you, Mirta," he said, standing up. "Now, pay attention, if you don't mind. We have things to do that you will want to know in future."

"what was that?" asked Francis in a low voice, sitting on Mirta's left.

"Just an attention-getting spell I learned at Cloud Tower," she answered, "It's really weak and works only on the freshmen there, but here it really stands out."

He sat down and opened his textbook. "Today we're going to make a potion for headaches. Turn to page thirty-eight and get out the jars with the ingredients listed."

A cabinet with shelves filled with jars was in the middle of the table, and Mirta opened the one in front of her. Looking at the list of what she needed, she reached in and started taking out various phials and glassware.

Selecting several, she put them aside. Double checking the list, she saw a few were still missing. Going back into the cabinet she pulled out several other jars and put them with the others.

"Here we go..." whispered Amaryl to Kimmy and Ahisa.

As they watched, Amaryl cupped her hand and made several passes over it with the other. A sphere about two inches across flashed into being in her palm. It was translucent white and glowed softly. She smirked and tossed it up into the air.

The sphere ambled through the room, around and over the fairies and noticed by none. Palladium was reading aloud the list of ingredients and being ignored.

Mirta had opened a couple of bottles and measured the powders and liquids into an open beaker. She was concentrating on the task and didn't notice when the sphere arrived.

"How are you directing it?" Ahisa whispered leaning over to the honey-blond fairy.

"I'm not," answered Amaryl, "It's all part of the spell. It will pick up an ingredient and add it out of turn. That will cause a puff of smoke, and poof! blue Mirta." She snickered.

Kimmy and Ahisa exchanged a look. Neither was happy about this, but it was too late now.

The sphere enveloped a small bottle and picked it up. The cap unscrewed and dropped to the table unnoticed.

Palladium looked up just in time to see the bottle lifting off the counter top. What was Mirta doing? Using a levitation spell to put the ingredients in the beaker? No... she was looking in the cabinet, not at the bottle. This was being done without her knowledge. And the bottle that was floating... was that-?

The bottle tilted up causing a light blue liquid to spill into the beaker.

"MIRTA!" he called, standing up. "WATCH-" But it was too late.

There was a loud BANG! and a rush of displaced air. The room filled with blue smoke which quickly dissipated, leaving everyone stunned. Nobody was blue.

Everyone started talking at once, and Palladium rushed over to the desk where Mirta had been sitting, her chair was tipped over, and the potion ingredients spilled around. The beaker containing her partially completed experiment was broken, leaving a real mess. But the witch-turned-fairy was gone.

"Is everyone okay?" the teacher asked, and got various responses in the affirmative.

"What happened to Mirta?" asked Francis, looking around.

Palladium turned to the witch's work station and picked up the bottle he had seen lifted into the air. Reading the label, he muttered "I was afraid of that."

The turned to the class. "Who did this?"

Amaryl raised her hand. "I did, sir. But it was just a harmless prank! I was going to put in an ingredient out of turn and make her skin blue for an hour! Honest! I don't know what happened!" Tears started down her cheeks. "What happened to her?  
Is she okay?"

Palladium was angry, but seeing the genuine distress on Amaryl's face muted it somewhat. "I hope so."

Shocked, the student fairy looked at him. "W- what do you mean, sir?"

He held up the bottle that had poured into the mixture. "The wrong thing got added to her potion. We're going to have to figure out what it did. I do hope she's all right." He glared sternly. "For your sake." 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The thunderstorms had not ended with the day, but continued to dump rain over the city of Trollzopolis and the surrounding lands. To the east, the storm that had just passed could be seen, the lightning within making the clouds turn a beautiful pearl white for a brief instant. The faint thunder followed each flash. To the west the next in line was approaching, its own lighting flashing and the noise slowly growing louder. Right at the moment the city park was between storms, and the land was soaking up the rain and letting the rest run off into the streams and storm drains.

An unpaved path wound between copses of trees and bushes, but was hard to see except when lighting briefly lit the land.

Along the path came a machine and rider. The vehicle was a hovercycle called a skoot, and was painted white. Its driver sat on a green cushioned seat and tried to watch where the path went. The driver missed a turn and was moving over the grass, but had not discovered that.

An extra-bright bolt of lighting flashed, followed almost instantly by extra-loud thunder. The skoot's driver instinctively turned left, away from it, but in the long dark between flashes had also missed seeing the stone fountain at the edge of the open field.

The skoot hit it and bucked, dumping the driver, who made a yelp of surprise, into the water. Without a driver, the skoot throttled down and came to a stop just a few feet from the fountain.

Sitting up with a growl, the driver took off a white helmet after struggling with the buckle for a moment. An enormous amount of blond hair sprang out, but being wet drooped behind the driver's back.

Along with the blond hair, the troll-girl had amber eyes and stood about three feet tall. Normally she wore a friendly, if somewhat vacant, smile, but right now was frowning with annoyance.

"Topaz Trollhopper, you've done some silly things before, but this has GOT to be the limit!" she said aloud. She threw the helmet at the skoot and carefully stepped out of the fountain, glad that no one was around to see.

She squeezed water out of her hair, which more or less restored it to its usual shape, a spiky ponytail that stood up from the back of her head. She tried to wipe the water from her clothes, but didn't have much luck.

"Oh, forget it!" she finally said, "I'm already soaked to the skin from the storm. What's a little fountain water going to do?" She went over to the skoot and looked to see if it had gotten scraped, but really couldn't see anything.

"Wait a sec! If I'm at the fountain, then I'm off the path!" she looked around in the light provided by the much closer lightning, trying to see where the path was. "I am NEVER going to get to Amethyst's house at this rate!"

She looked down at herself. "My clothes are ruined. Maybe I'd just better go back home... IF I can find the path!"

Just then the next round of rain started. Topaz slumped her shoulders, then giggled. "Oh, well. At least I can't get any wetter!" Her hair drooped even more as it took in more water.

She picked up her helmet and looked up at the departing storm. "Man, I wish that had been the last one." As it happened she was looking at the right place at the right moment when something completely unexpected occurred.

A loud BANG! was followed by a short, sharp breeze hittng her, and a person appeared some distance in the air. They didn't fall down, but traveled at a parallel to the ground, screaming all the way, into a tree. Topaz heard a sickening CRACK and the scream cut off.

Frozen for a second she heard the sound of small branches breaking and a thud as the person landed, and not gently. Topaz winced in sympathy. She tossed down the helmet and ran in that direction.

At the foot of the tree she found a person, a girl, lying on her right side. From the unnatural angle, her right leg was broken. She was groaning and trying to sit up. A flash of lightning revealed the girl to have short, dark red hair, and was wearing a black skirt, boots, and a black vest over a white t-shirt with a pumpkin on it.

"About as fashionable as Onyx," she thought. Then she realized the girl looked like the fairies she had met last year! That is, she seemed to be as tall, but wasn't dressed like one. "Maybe I can help her look better. That punk look is SO five years ago!"

Mirta sat up slowly, confused, disoriented, and in pain from scratches and bruises. The world around her was wet, loud, bright then dark, and unfamiliar.

What happened? Was Cloud Tower being attacked? Where was she? For that matter, where was anybody? She stiffened. LUCY! "I have to find her, make sure she's okay," she said aloud.

She sensed unfamiliar magic nearby, like nothing she had ever come across before, and her witch's instincts kicked in. She looked in that direction to see the outline of a... person? Creature? Something... standing and staring at her. She raised a hand and orange energy flared around it. Fear gave the magic strength, and a bolt left her hand, striking the creature and throwing it back. She heard it scream in what she could have sworn was a female voice. But it didn't matter; she had gotten rid of it.

"That's what you get for attacking Mirta the Witch!" she yelled.

Getting her wits back, she looked around, seeking shelter from the storm and the thing that attacked her. She put her left hand down to brace herself and quickly drew it back, wincing in pain. Feeling the wrist she could tell it was swelling up.

"Great, a sprained wrist. Worry about it later, I've got to get out of here before more of those things find me," she thought.

She shifted to stand up, but discovered she couldn't. Her right leg wasn't working. During a flash of lightning she saw it was at an unnatural angle. It didn't hurt, but felt... odd. Shock, she realized. And when it wore off she WOULD be in pain.

Looking in the direction her magic had thrown the creature, she could sense the strange magic was much fainter but still there. She hadn't killed it, but it was probably out for the time being. Fine. Got more important things to worry about, like getting out of this storm.

There were sticks all around her, and she found two of a good length and thickness she could use. Taking off her belt she put the sticks on either side of the break and wrapped the belt securely and tightly around them. That would do for now.

A long stick with a fork in one end was just within reach, and she pulled it to her, using her magic to shear off the side branches, cut the length and even up the ends of the fork.

Bracing against the tree she slowly stood up, her broken leg feeling funny but still without pain. Her wrist was doing its best to make up for it, though; the throbbing was terrible.

She looked around, trying to decide on where to go. There was a hill with what looked like thick trees and bushes atop it. That might do. She could hide there while her leg and wrist mended, then hook back up with the other witches and find out what was going on.

Taking a last look in the direction she had blasted her attacker, she hobbled away. It was slow going, especially with the thunderstorm raging around, but it made good cover.

At her destination she found it to be better than she hoped. There was a kind of rock table at the top with room for her to squeeze in underneath. The bushes provided cover all around, and the trees kept off most of the rain.

Settling in after carefully making sure there were no animals that had claimed it for a home, she turned her attention to herself. On the left side of her belt was a flat case with several vials of unbreakable glass that she always carried with her. A witch had to stay prepared for an emergency. After all, she could rely only on herself.

Figuring the storm would cover her, she used a minor spell to dry herself off. The rock table kept the rain out and the burrow dry. Leaves inside were comfortable.

One vial contained a healing potion that would cure her leg and wrist overnight. But she had to stay quiet and still for it to work.

She took the potion and sleep crept over her. The night was warm and the shelter secure. She drifted off, wondering what had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next morning dawned bright and clear, everything fresh from the night's rain. Animals that called the park home went about their normal business. The light grew brighter as the day got started,

Four skoots skimmed along the unpaved path from the opposite way Topaz had taken. The drivers were her friends Onyx, Ruby, Sapphire, and Amethyst.

"And the police won't do ANYTHING?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, they said she had to be missing an entire day before they will start looking," answered Amethyst.

"Figures," muttered Onyx, "On our own, as usual."

"Well, this is the path she HAD to have taken, since it is the shortest from her house to mine," said Amethyst.

"Right. Let's keep a sharp eye out," said Ruby, looking around.

They all called out for Topaz, but got no answer, and saw nothing out of place. Finally they got to the fountain.

"Hey, there's her skoot," said Onyx, pointing to the white vehicle patiently awaiting its driver.

They pulled off the path and around the skoot.

"Her helmet's here, but where is she?" asked Amethyst, looking around carefully.

"The skoot's still running," added Sapphire, shutting it down. "She can't be far."

"Topaz? Topaz, can you hear me?" called Ruby, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Topaz! Where are you?" called Amethyst.

"C'mon, you're scaring us!" said Onyx.

"TOPAZ!" yelled Sapphire, making the others wince.

Some distance away, just by the edge of a bush, a familiar hand was raised. "O-over here, guys..."

They all ran over to find their friend just sitting up, holding her head.

"Ohhh.. my head..." she looked around briefly. "It's daylight? Where did you guys come from?"

"We've been looking for you for the past hour," said Ruby, kneeling beside her.

"You're all muddy," said Amethyst, "What happened? Why are you over here?"

"Lemme think a minute..." groaned the blond troll.

The others exchanged a glance and while they waited for her to speak they all knelt beside her and touched her gently on the limbs, head, and torso, looking for any injury. They gave a collective sigh of relief when they didn't find any.

"I got caught in a storm and missed the path. I ended up at the fountain," she said, thinking. She decided not to mention falling in. "I was trying to figure out where the path was when there was a loud bang, and someone just appeared in midair."

"Was it Simon or Snarf?" asked Onyx.

"No, it was a girl, tall like the fairies we met. She was dressed in a kind of punk fashion. She was thrown into that tree and fell to the ground. I think she had a broken leg. I came to see if I could help her."

"So what happened? Where is she?" asked Ruby. If a fairy had somehow been transported here, they better find her quick.

"I don't know where she is. She uh, said... That's what you get for attacking... uh..." Topaz tried to remember, "Oh, it was 'that's what you get for attacking Mirta the Witch'! Then she blasted me with orange magic and I woke up when I heard Sapphire yelling."

They all stared at each other. If Topaz wasn't imagining things, this could be very bad.

"There's a witch here?" asked Onyx, looking around carefully.

"Did you attack her?" asked Sapphire.

Topaz answered the blue-haired troll with a glare and frown. "Of course not! Why would I? I was trying to help her!"

"Are you sure you actually saw someone, and wasn't dreaming or something?" asked Ruby. "Maybe you hit your head."

"I know what I saw!" protested Topaz, "And heard! And felt!"

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" Ruby held up her hands in a placating manner. She stood up. If a witch had somehow been transported here, they better find her even quicker.

"I think we'd better find her, and find out what she's doing here," said Onyx, standing up, "What did you say her name was again?"

"She said Mirta," answered Topaz. With help from Amethyst and Sapphire, she stood up. She was wobbly for just a moment, then got her legs under her.

"Does anybody remember being introduced to a Mirta at Alfea?" asked Amethyst.

"We wouldn't have, if she's a witch. They go to a different school, remember," said Sapphire.

"Oh, that's right," nodded Amethyst, turning a bit red.

"Hmmm... She didn't take your skoot, and if she has a broken leg, she couldn't have gone far. She has to be around here somewhere," said Onyx.

"Well, let's look," said Ruby, "But be careful!"

"Well, duh," said Onyx, rolling her eyes.

As they split up to search, they had no idea they were being watched.

Mirta had awakened to find her leg was better (the magic had set it) and the swelling in her wrist had gone down. They were both still sore, but had probably finished mending. The cuts and bruises were nearly healed.

She had used the heating spell again to finish drying off, then took out another vial. This one contained all the nutrients she would need for a couple of days. It would sustain her, but was no substitute for food. She was already hungry. Hopefully she would be able to get back to Cloud Tower before too long.

Cloud Tower... she hoped everyone was okay, especially Lucy.

She tried to think and remember what happened. She was in class at Alfea... no, Cloud Tower. Why would she think of Alfea? Concentrate, Mirta! She was in Professor Palladium... no, Edeltrude's class... doing it again! Edeltrude's class. They were learning a headache cure... no, a poison cloud potion, when... what? Her mind was blank.

Hearing voices she crawled to the edge of the clearing and peered through the bushes. The creature she blasted had been joined by four more. They inspected the blond one and helped her stand up.

"What short people," she thought, "And all that hair. Must take a heck of a spell to keep it like that..."

She watched as the five girls went to different places and looked for her. "Mirta? Are you there?" she saw the one with blond hair looking between bushes. "MIIIRTA! You can come out, every thing's all right," said one with pink hair. "Yeah, we aren't going to hurt you, we want to help you," said one with black hair.

She looked around at the unfamiliar place. Obviously it was a city park. There were skyscrapers to one side, but it wasn't Magix. There were huge trees scattered around as well, of a type she had never seen before. Finally she pulled out her cell phone, but had no service. The odds against her just got worse.

Then she saw the cycles waiting by a fountain.

"Wish I'd known those were there last night, Wait a second. What is all this about sneaking and hiding? I'm a witch! I have power and the will to use it! I'll make them tell me what I want to know!" she thought.

Concentrating, she felt the unfamiliar magic from all five of them. Great. One, maybe two she could handle. But five? No way. "I'll have to ambush one of them," she thought, then grinned. She knew she could take the blond.

Moving back away from the bushes, she stood up. Thinking for a moment she remembered a spell that would help. Waving her hands and saying the words, caused her form to shimmer and turn transparent. It wasn't exactly invisibility, but unless someone was looking right at her when she moved, wasn't likely to be seen.

She moved through the bushes and looked for the girl she picked out. There she was, approaching a clump of bushes and trees near the foot of the hill. She moved as quickly and quietly as she could down the hill and went into the bushes on the side away from the blond.

Topaz stopped just outside the bushes. "M-miss Mirta? Are you there?" the idea of meeting a witch was scary, especially after those three back in Magix. "I want to help you. Don't be afraid."

Without warning an arm shot out of the bush directly in front of her. A hand grabbed her blouse and yanked her into the copse. She was spun around and slammed into a tree. A large, five-fingered hand slapped over her mouth.

"I want answers, and you're going to give them to me," said Mirta, "But if you yell, or try to alert the others, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Scared silly, Topaz could only nod.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Amaryl opened the door and stepped into the suite she shared with Kimmy and Ahisa and Mirta. Her remaining roommates were sitting in the common room, waiting for her. She came over to the couch and flopped down with a sigh. It was now nearly ten at night, some twelve hours since Mirta vanished.

"Any news?" asked Kimmy.

"Yeah," nodded Amaryl, "They think they've figured out what the ingredient did. The magic of my bubble spell got mixed in and it apparently created a portal that lasted just long enough to suck her in."

"A portal to where?" asked Ahisa.

"That's the thing. Nobody knows because there was nothing to direct it. Totally random," was the answer. "They've also brought in Tecna to investigate. I had to do the bubble spell for her to take readings."

"Hm. So you've discovered a new portal spell using a potion. That's pretty good," said Kimmy. "Maybe you'll get a good grade for it."

Amaryl shook her head. "Not really. Once they figured out what was in the beaker, Palladium recognized the mixture. It's been discovered before, but is too unstable to use."

The other two girls were silent, thinking. Amaryl laid her head back against the couch and sighed again. "You were right, both of you. I shouldn't have done it."

Her friends looked at her, both biting their tongues to stop from saying 'I told you so.' That wouldn't help. Mirta was in trouble, and getting into a fight was the last thing they needed to do.

"What did they say about... punishment?" asked Kimmy.

"It depends on finding Mirta first," answered Amaryl.

"Well, can they figure out where she is?" asked Ahisa.

"They're not sure," said Amaryl.

"Do they even know if she's... alive?" asked Kimmy.

At that, Amaryl, broke down completely and the other two fairies immediately came to her and sat beside her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that," said Kimmy.

"It's- it's all right," sobbed Amaryl. She looked at them. "Miss Faragonda said that all we could do was hope."

She broke down again and her friends did their best to comfort her.

wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl

Tecna stood in the classroom, looking things over. She took readings of everything and compiled the data as Palladium and Faragonda stood by the door, watching. Magic had, so far, failed to discover Mirta's fate, so now they turned to science.

While her laptop did its work, she addressed the teachers.

"Tell me everything you can about the mixture," she asked.

Palladium went to his desk and opened the book sitting there.

"Not too much to tell," he said, flipping pages. "This will give you everything that's known about the effect." He turned the book toward her.

It took the Technology Fairy less than a second to read and commit to memory the few pages of data. Her laptop also made a copy of them, converting the text to a file and storing it in the folder she had started for the project.

"Thank you," she nodded, "Now I've got a better idea of what's going on..."

She went over and sat in the chair Mirta had been in. She looked at the wall behind her and stared at it. Her normally passive face betraying no hint of what she was thinking.

"Mirta was sitting here when it happened," she said, and stood up. "She disappeared with a bang and rush of air, and her chair was tipped over backwards. The beaker was broken and the other bottles knocked around, correct?"

Palladium nodded.

"So the portal appeared right in front of her, likely over the beaker, and pulled her in," said Tecna, taking more readings.

She looked up, directly at the ingredients cabinet, and stared at it like she expected Mirta to come tumbling out. Then she turned and looked at the wall behind her again.

The teachers exchanged a glance. Odd behavior, but if it got the job done...

Turning her attention to her laptop, she studied the results of the scans, and her eyes narrowed slightly. Tecna studied the list and amounts of ingredients used. They had to assume Mirta had put in the correct amounts of the right powders and liquids because the beaker had broken and the contents scattered. They knew the amount of liquid added from the wrong bottle by what was left in it.

Tecna pointed toward the cabinet. "That way is west, correct?"

Startled by the complete non-sequitur, Faragonda could only nod in answer.

They watched as Tecna pulled up a program and started typing. Equations came and went on the screen, almost too quick to see. Then a circle appeared and a line went from one spot to another, leaving an "X" at the end. Tecna nodded and turned to them.

"As far as I can determine, she's in Trollzopolis," she declared.

Both teacher's mouths dropped open.

"How- how do you figure that?" asked Palladium. Tecna's face took on a slightly hurt look, and the elf quickly added, "Not that I doubt, you understand, I just want to know why you think so."

The look disappeared as quickly as it came, and Tecna turned the laptop toward them.

"The size and shape of the portal is based on the composition and makeup of the ingredients. Amaryl's spell and the wrong ingredient supplied the energy, and we have that quantified. Essentially, a wormhole was created with a tunnel going west. Said tunnel would follow the curve of the world because of gravity, and the exit would appear when the energy ran out. That can be estimated. Since it was created by magic, it would be attracted to a place of magic, and Trollzopolis is the only thing in that area that qualifies." She pointed at the circle, which had added more details and now could be seen to be a map of Magix.

"I... think I'd better go call Obsidian..." said Faragonda. Then she smiled. "Thank you, Tecna, that is excellent work."

Putting away her laptop, the Technology Fairy nodded. "Glad to help. I'll stop by Amaryl's room and let her know."

"Thank you, dear," said Faragonda, and left for her office.

"That was incredible work, Tecna," said Palladium, "I am very impressed."

She smiled and said "Thank you, sir. I enjoy solving mysteries like this."

wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl

Tecna knocked on the door of Amaryl's suite then let herself in. Three pairs of eyes were looking in her direction.

"I have news," she said, "The portal has probably taken Mirta to Trollzopolis, and it's likely she's okay."

Amaryl sat back and appeared to deflate in relief. "Thank you."

"Trollzopolis?" said Ahisa, "Where those troll-girls that visited came from?"

"That's right," nodded Tecna. "Ms. Faragonda is calling someone there now."

Amaryl stood up. "I have to do something to help. I'm responsible, and have to make it right."

Tecna smiled. "Good to hear."

Kimmy and Ahisa stood as well. "We're her friends too. We'll help."

"Well, you need to tell Ms. Faragonda and Professor Palladium, not me. As it is, I've got to go now and get packed for that mission," said Tecna.

"Thanks again, Tecna," said Amaryl, giving her a brief hug.

"You're quite welcome. I know you will handle it just fine." The Technology Fairy left, leaving three friends very relieved about the fate of the fourth.

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"I see," said Obsidian. Her image was on Faragonda's holophone projector. She was very old, with white hair and light green eyes. "I'll call the girls and get the search started."

"Thank you, Obsidian," nodded Faragonda. "How are your students doing?"

The old troll smiled. "Quite well. They're picking up knowledge and techniques at a very satisfying rate."

"That's good to hear. I felt they had a lot of potential when I met them," said Faragonda.

"Yes, they're young and inexperienced, but they give me hope for the future," was the reply. "I need to make that call. And I'll call you back when I've got news."

"Thank you, Obsidian, and good night," said Faragonda, and broke the connection.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"I'm going to move my hand now. Remember what I said," warned Mirta.

Topaz nodded, her amber eyes wide, staring at the menacing witch looming over her.

Cautiously Mirta removed her hand, and Topaz took a few seconds to breathe and get her heart rate to lower.

Mirta studied the strange girl and saw that the fear she exhibited was real. This shouldn't be too much trouble. But she felt a little guilty for scaring her. No, she couldn't be weak. She had been attacked, and as a witch would make sure the wrong was repaid.

"Okay, now. You know my name, so what's yours?" she asked.

"T- Topaz," was the answer.

Mirta smiled slightly. "That's pretty. What are you? I've never seen anyone like you before."

"I- I'm a troll," answered Topaz, "Did you come from Magix?"

"Yeah. How did I get here? For that matter, where IS here?" the redheaded half-witch asked, risking a glance around.

"Which one do you want me to answer first?" asked Topaz. When Mirta glared at her, she pressed against the tree a little harder. "Please don't hurt me."

Now Mirta was really starting to feel bad, despite her resolve. "I won't hurt you as long as you answer my questions truthfully. I promise."

"O- okay," nodded the blond, relieved. "And I promise not to lie."

After several seconds of staring at each other, Mirta finally said, "Well?"

"You didn't say which question to answer first," said the troll-girl, fear spiking again.

"The first one," sighed Mirta. She was starting to wonder if this Topaz was really that scatterbrained, if fear was driving her, or if she was just stalling.

"What was it, again? You scared it out of my head," said Topaz.

"You'd better not be stalling. How did I get here?" said Mirta, glancing around again.

"I guess through a portal. I was going to Amethyst's house and got caught in a thunderstorm. I saw you appear in mid-air and get thrown into a tree. I tried to help you, but you blasted me with magic," said Topaz.

"Yeah, like I believe that. You trolls attacked Cloud Tower out of nowhere. Why would you help someone you were attacking?" asked Mirta.

"But I didn't attack anything or anyone!" Topaz started to cry.

"Oh, stop that," growled the half-witch, "Answer the other question. Where am I?"

"Trollzopolis Park," said Topaz, "You're around the world from Magix." The tears flowed freely.

That gave Mirta pause. "So where are the other witches?"

"I don't know, okay? I only saw you!" said Topaz, crying a little harder.

"Keep your voice down, or else," said Mirta, letting her hand glow orange.

Topaz broke down completely, and Mirta backed off a bit, letting her cry for a minute. "Okay, look, I'm sorry. But I'm lost and I don't know what's going on or where Lucy is, and you're the only lead I've got."

"But I don't know anything!" protested Topaz, trying to get herself under control.

'I'm starting to believe that,' thought Mirta. Aloud she said "Who DOES know?"

The troll-girl started to answer when Mirta suddenly grabbed her own head and fell down. She curled into a fetal position and moaned.

"Are- are you okay?" Topaz asked, her fear being overridden by her natural desire to help. She leaned over and put a hand on Mirta's shoulder.

The pain subsided as rapidly as it had come, and the half-witch slapped the hand away and sat up, an angry expression on her face. "You treacherous little..." She lifted a hand and the orange glow reappeared.

Topaz shrank against the tree. "But I didn't..."

"Get away from her, you witch," growled a new voice.

Mirta turned to see the other four trolls had snuck up behind her and were holding... marbles? over their heads. The objects were glowing, as were the gems they had in their bellybuttons.

Her other hand started glowing, but before she could turn them toward the new enemy, action was taken.

"Tope's in trouble from witch's magic, stop it now, before things turn tragic!"

They chanted in unison, and threw the beads at Mirta.

There was a sudden lifting, and once more she found herself flying through the air, but this time she was aware. Twisting around she put her hands down and caught herself from slamming into the ground, performing a handspring and ending up on her feet. She turned, magic at the ready. The sudden activity made her wrist and where the break had been ache again, but she couldn't show weakness.

The four trolls were standing side by side, new marbles at the ready.

Nearby, Simon the gremlin and his servant Snarf stood within a protective bubble that rendered them invisible to the combatants. He had been watching since he felt the strange magic sometime earlier in the day and came to investigate.

"What are you going to do, master?" asked the red swamp mutt, "Drain that girl's magic and use it against those trolls you hate?"

Simon frowned, but answered. "Nah. Unfortunately, witch magic is too different from mine or troll magic for me to use. We're just going to watch and hope she can beat them."

"Great!" grinned Snarf. He pulled a bucket of popcorn out of hammerspace and offered it to Simon.

Simon took the popcorn and turned his attention to the battle.

"Uh, master? That was for both of us," said Snarf.

Simon glared at him, and the mutt deflated. The gremlin boy took a handful and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then dumped the bucket on Snarf. "There's no butter! Next time, don't forget the butter!"

"Yes, master," said Snarf. Then he glanced up at Simon and ate some popcorn.

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"Guys, wait!" cried Topaz, running between her friends and Mirta.

"Topaz, what are you doing?" asked Ruby.

"I- I don't think she's evil, I think she's scared. We have to help her," said the blond.

"She could have hurt you!" said Amethyst.

"But she didn't," said Topaz, "She just wanted answers."

Mirta took the opportunity of Topaz distracting the others to think. "Five against one; I definitely don't like those odds, and that was a powerful spell. Better take the better part of valor."

She started to throw the transparency spell when pain like a knife being slammed into her head hit her. She collapsed again, blind to everything but it. She screamed, trying to keep her head from exploding.

Simon frowned. "We're leaving. This fight is over. Wimpy witch can't beat them now." The bubble containing him and Snarf vanished.

"MIRTA!" called Topaz, and ran over to her. The rest of the BFFL hesitated a moment, then did the same, putting away the beads.

They watched for a minute as the tall girl writhed, gritting her teeth and moaning.

"Do something, someone!" said Topaz, dropping to her knees and trying to still the witch's violent jerks.

Suddenly she stilled. She panted, drawing labored breaths for a long minute. The pain had receeded to a managable level, but now she was surrounded by the enemy.

"Are you-" said Sapphire.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" screamed Mirta, her hands glowing bright orange. Bolts of magic hit all five trolls like lightning, throwing them away from her. She got up and ran, head pounding, and disappeared into the woods while her enemies recovered.

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Professor Palladium knocked on the door to Ms. Faragonda's office and let himself in.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am, but we have a new problem," he said.

At the headmistress's inquiring look he continued. "I found another reference to the incomplete headache remedy, and there was a warning. If Mirta got any of the formula on her it will be absorbed through her skin and cause a bad reaction. She will be experiencing memory loss, and will likely have a major stroke and die unless we can get the counteractant to her within about another four hours."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Oh, dear, that's going to be a problem," said Faragonda, standing up.

"I know. Portal spells are hard for fairies, and there's no way a Red Fountain ship could get prepped and there in time. Not to mention finding her in the meantime," said Palladium.

Faragonda turned away and looked out the large window that overlooked the campus quad, thinking. After a moment she turned back. "Princess Stella can do portal spells with her scepter!"

Palladium shook his head. "I'm afraid the Winx girls have already left with Princess Layla."

"Then let's think. Ask the other teachers if they have any suggestions. I'm going to call Obsidian," said Faragonda, sitting again.

"Yes, ma'am," said Palladium, and took his leave.

He left the Admin Building, intending to consult with the other teachers, but was intercepted by Amaryl, Ahisa, and Kimmy.

"Professor, is there any news?" asked Amaryl.

"Yes, and not good, I'm afraid," he replied.

By the time he finished, Amaryl was in tears, and Kimmy and Ahisa weren't much better.

"Can I do anything to help? This is all my fault," said Amaryl.

"We want to help too," put in Kimmy. "We can't let Mirta die!"

"Keep yourselves available. That's the best I can say right now," the elf answered.

As soon as he left, the honey-blond fairy sat heavily on one of the benches by the Wishing Well. She was as miserable as she had ever been in her life.

Ahisa put her arms around her shoulders from behind and gave her a hug. "It'll be okay. It was an accident. You didn't mean to do what happened."

Amaryl only shook her head.

"This is as much our fault as it is yours, you know," said Kimmy, "We didn't try very hard to stop you."

"That's right," agreed Ahisa, "And we'll share whatever punishment they give you."

Amaryl's head jerked around, eyes wide. "You would do that? But why?"

"We're your friends and Mirta's friends too. What more do I need to say?" asked Ahisa, and Kimmy nodded agreement.

Amaryl smiled. "Thanks, but I can't let you do that."

"How are you going to stop us?" asked Kimmy, and the irony hit them all at once.

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Mirta hid in some bushes, trying to get the pain in her head to go away. Her efforts were hampered by the jumble of memories that were rushing through her mind. Pictures of Cloud Tower, mixed with images of Alfea. Scenes of home with her family and pictures of Lucy were very prominent. Fairies she seemed to know, classes at Cloud Tower and Alfea. The Trix attacking the fairy school, and strangest of all, her senses distorted, sensations like she was no longer human. It was important, but she didn't know why.

"What is happening...?" she thought, struggling against her own mind. "I don't know anyone at Alfea..."

An unknown time passed as she worked to make sense of what she was seeing, and get it to stop. She was still in danger from those trolls- they weren't that far away. And she couldn't fight them in this state.

She fumbled around and took out the healing potion, taking another sip. The pain receded almost instantly, and she sighed with relief. She sat up carefully, looking for the trolls. Good, they hadn't found her yet.

Behind her, she saw the end of the park. She snuck over to have a look. There were cars and hovercycles and buses all busily moving along the paved road. More trolls were walking along on their own business. Nobody noticed her. She sat back.

"I can't go into town, there's nobody but trolls there, and I'll stand out," she thought, and her stomach rumbled. "But maybe I can get some supplies before I go in another direction."

She snuck along the edge of the park until she came to a paved road leading into it. There were a number of vendors selling food items, and the smell made her even hungrier.

She picked out one selling what looked like hamburgers that was somewhat isolated from the others. Creeping up behind it, she looked to see a male troll with his purple hair in a hairnet that strained to stay on. Despite the danger, she giggled quietly.

She really didn't want to hurt anybody, so she cast a sleep spell on the man. He sat down and leaned against the counter, out cold. Going inside she put out the CLOSED sign and then pulled down the shutters.

She made several hamburgers her way and ate, having something called a 'Trolla-Cola' with it. A little odd, but good. The fries already made up were good as well.

Then she made up several more burgers and put them in an empty box she found, along with a few more soft drinks. This should hold her for a day or two. She looked at the fries, but decided against them. Cold fries weren't good, and re-heating them didn't appeal to her.

She started to leave, then hesitated. Pulling out her wallet, she put a couple of bills on the counter where he would see them when he woke up. She hoped it would be enough, even if it wasn't 'trollars'. Then she crept out and was gone back into the woods.

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The BFFL sat up, groaning. The witch's unexpected attack had hurt!

"Everybody okay?" asked Amethyst, looking around.

She got four variants of 'yes' for an answer, and they stood up, trying to recover from the blast.

Just then, Ruby's spell phone rang and she flipped it open.

"Oh, hi, Obsidian," she said.

"Ruby, there's a problem I need you and your friends to help with. A fairy from Alfea has been accidentally transported here, and she might be hurt. We need to find her, and pretty quick," said the old troll.

"We've already met her," said Ruby, "But she's not a fairy, she's a witch."

"Well, Faragonda told me she transferred from the witches school at the beginning of the year, so she's considered a fairy now," was the reply.

"But she keeps saying she's a witch," said Topaz, looking over Ruby's shoulder.

"That's because of the accident. She's lost some memory, and that's not all. Has she shown any physical problems?" asked Obsidian, frowning.

"Yes ma'am," nodded Topaz, "She keeps having bad headaches that come and go."

"I was afraid of that. We've got to get a cure to her within... three and a half hours now, or she will have a stroke and die. Is she with you right now?" Obsidian looked more hopeful.

"No, ma'am, she just blasted us and ran off," answered Ruby.

"Where are you?" asked Obsidian.

"In the park, near the fountain and statue of Major Trollnut," answered Ruby.

"You have to find her. Call me when you do," said Obsidian, and rang off.

Ruby put the phone away. "You heard her, guys, let's get our skoots and find Mirta."

Within a minute they were mounted and traveling along the way Mirta had gone.

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Ms. Faragonda went over to where Ahisa, Kimmy, and Amaryl were sitting, and the students stood up.

"Do you still want to help?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, more than ever," said Ahisa.

"Thank you. A portal from Trollzopolis will be appearing shortly, and I need you to take the counteractant there and give it to Mirta as quickly as you can," said Faragonda.

"And here it is," said Palladium, coming from the classroom wing. In his hand was a crystal phial.

Kimmy took it from him and put it in a pocket.

A few minutes later, a circular portal popped into being by the Wishing Well, startling everyone. A short woman walking with a cane stepped out. She was wearing a black dress, and her white hair was piled up very high and gathered near the top. She had a shawl around her shoulders. Her keen green eyes took in everything.

"Obsidian!" said Faragonda, going over to meet her, "It's been far too long!"

"I agree, Faragonda," was the reply with a smile for her old friend.

"These are the students who will be going to fetch Mirta back," said the teacher, waving them over, "Ahisa, Kimmy, and Amaryl."

Obsidian smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you. Since time is of the essence, we need to go. Follow me, please."

She turned and went back through the portal. The three fairies hesitated a moment, then followed.

"Good luck, girls!" called Palladium.

"Please bring her back safely!" added Faragonda.

"We'll do our best," answered Ahisa.

The three of them disappeared into the portal, and it collapsed and was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

When the three fairies appeared, Obsidian was waiting for them. Looking around they found themselves in a shop of some kind, with jars of differently-colored marbles filling shelves and countertops. What looked like tree roots formed braces for the walls and ceiling. The room was a dark green.

"Welcome to Trollzopolis," said Obdsidian, "We're going to have to wait until I hear from my students before I send you on. Would you like something to drink while we wait?" She sat down heavily.

"Are you okay, ma'am? asked Kimmy.

"Yes, just a bit tired," said Obsidian, "A portal spell over that distance is very hard. I have to add my own magic to the bead, and holding it open for very long is draining."

"So, where are we?" asked Ahisa. The dark-haired fairy was standing at the counter, looking in a jar of green spell beads.

"In my shop in the Trollzopolis Mall," answered Obsidian.

The fairies went over and looked out the glass doors into the bright and busy floor. Trolls with a rainbow and more of hair colors were going about their own business, and no one noticed them.

"Not much point in going shopping," said Amaryl, "All the clothes will be too small."

Ahisa grinned and smacked her friend on the shoulder.

"What's up there?" Kimmy asked Obsidian, pointing to a door at the top of stone stairs.

"My spell bead workshop," was the reply, "It's where I make them, and research new ones."

The fairy reached over and plucked a purple bead out of a jar, holding it up and looking through it. She could see something inside, like sand, or debris of some kind. From what the Winx girls had said about them, those must be the ingredients.

"I wish we fairies could use them. It would be nice to have another spell set on missions," she said.

"Perhaps... but the evolution of troll and fairy magic makes that impossible," said Obsidian.

"But what about witches?" asked Kimmy, turning to the old woman, "Their magic is different from ours."

"It's a difference in perception, rather than kind," was the answer. "No, witches can't use spell beads either."

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about Mirta using any on us," commented the dark-haired fairy.

"I hope they find her soon," said Amaryl, sadly.

Her friends came over and tried to comfort their friend.

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They reached the end of the park. Beyond it was a housing tract. The fence was high, and hopefully she hadn't gotten this far.

Sapphire pulled up to a stop and turned to the others. "We've covered this entire side of the park, and no sign of her." She checked her watch. "Time's getting short. We have to find her now."

"Maybe we should split up. We can cover more ground that way," offered Sapphire.

"And maybe let one of us will be attacked again?" said Onyx. "We need to stick together."

"So let's compromise and spread out just a bit more than we are," said Amethyst.

"The rule should be that we stay in sight of each other," put in Topaz.

"Makes sense to me," said Onyx. Topaz could occasionally be very practical.

"Okay, then, let's do it," said Ruby. She checked the time on her spell phone. "We've got less than three hours left."

"Wait a minute," said Sapphire, rummaging around in a compartment on her skoot. Finally she pulled out a dark blue spell bead.

"I know we decided not to use magic in case Mirta could sense it, but we're nearly out of time and options," she explained, "I've got a finding spell, and I think we should use it."

"I agree," said Amethyst.

"Me too," said Topaz.

"The benefits outweigh the risks this time," deadpanned Onyx.

Ruby's shoulders slumped a bit. "Yeah, you're right."

Sapphire's blue flower-shaped gem glowed, activating the spell bead.

"Instead of Simon, for a switch, show us where we'll find that witch!"

She threw the bead into the air, where the pink cloud coaliesced into a bright blue will-o-the-wisp. It hovered a second, then darted back and forth as if getting its bearings.

Then it took off to their left. They revved their skoots and followed.

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Mirta had crept along until she was out of sight of the food stands and the pedestrians in the park. She was carrying a box with the prepared burgers and drinks. She had decided to go back to the hill and stone table, since her enemies hadn't discovered it.

Glancing to her right when she heard the voices of adults and children, she saw something that reminded her of another personal need. A brick building stood there with two doors. Each had the universal symbol of "male" or "female", but both had an addition of hair atop the circle representing the head.

Stashing the food in a safe spot she used the transparency spell again and made her way to the building. When she got back she retrieved the box and put in a roll of toilet paper she had borrowed. Just in case.

Continuing her trip through the park she finally spotted the statue of a male troll in uniform that was near the fountain. Homing in on it she found the hill and quickly made her way back to the stone table on top. Stashing the food away she looked over at the fountain and saw the hovercycles were gone. Good, it meant those troll girls were somewhere else, looking for her. She was safe, at least for the moment.

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The ball of blue light leading them sometimes darted ahead, but was never out of sight. It's movements were quick over very short distances, but slow over longer ones.

"I can walk faster than that wisp is leading us," groused Onyx.

"Just don't let it out of your sight," said Ruby.

"It won't do that," said Sapphire, "Part of the spell is staying where the caster can see it."

"It's leading us back toward the statue," observed Onyx.

"I thought so," agreed Amethyst.

"Would she really come back here?" asked Topaz.

"where else can she go?" asked Ruby.

Topaz had no answer for that.

After a couple more minutes they found themselves right back where they had been when the adventure started. The floating blue ball hovered for a moment, then vanished with a flash and soft 'pop'. The spell's time limit had been reached. They all looked around, but saw no sign of the witch.

"So, where is she?" asked Topaz.

"How should I know?" asked Ruby, sharply. "Maybe she climbed the tree to find the portal she came through."

That made them all uneasy, and they looked up, trying to see if the tall redhead was up there, about to ambush them.

Mirta had been about to fall asleep, safe within her cubbyhole under the rock table when Ruby's words drifted up to her. She quickly crawled over to the bushes and cautiously peeked through.

Her enemies were back, standing at the foot of a tree, and for some reason looking up in it. Maybe they thought she had climbed it? She shook her head. No idea why they would think that...

This time there was a few seconds warning before the agony of another headache hit her. She fell, holding her head with her eyes closed, trying not to make a sound and give away her position. That worked for all of five seconds, then she gave a loud moan as she writhed.

Five sets of eyes immediately snapped over toward the hill.

"Did anyone check that hill?" asked Ruby, and got four variations of 'no'.

Another, louder, moan reached their ears.

"That's her," said Amethyst, "Ruby, call Obsidian. C'mon, guys!" She got off her skoot and ran toward the hill, the other three right after her.

Breaking through the bushes they found their quarry on the ground, holding her head.

"Mirta, it's me, Topaz," said the blond troll, "Don't be afraid, I want to help you."

"No, no, no, no..." moaned the half-witch, in agony.

"Mirta, listen to me," said Sapphire, "You're suffering from a spell gone wrong. There's help from coming from Alfea."

"I... won't... surrender..." she said gritting her teeth through the pain.

"Mirta, if you don't get help, you're going to die!" said Topaz, kneeling beside her.

"Liar..." said Mirta through clenched teeth.

"I'm not lying! I promised I wouldn't, remember!" said the troll. "Trust me! Please!" She reached over and rubbed her back.

Just then, Ruby joined the group. "Obsidian said some fairies were on the way."

"NO!" shouted Mirta, then grabbed her own head again. "AAAAGGHHHH!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The pain grew beyond Mirta's capacity to cope, and she mercifully passed out.

Topaz moved around and knelt, putting Mirta's head in her lap. Not knowing what else to do, she started rubbing her head gently, and massaging her face and neck.

"She's pretty," commented Amethyst.

"Yeah, in an Onyx kinda way," smirked Ruby.

The dark troll girl looked over at the redhead with a frown. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Friends before fashion, remember," put in Topaz, not looking up.

Ruby sighed. "I guess. Sorry."

"We need to keep a lookout for those fairies," said Sapphire.

"I'll help," said Amethyst.

The two of them moved back through the bushes, right to the edge of the hill's summit.

"Okay, there's the mall," said Sapphire, pointing to the distant building through the trees.

"And there are the fairies!" said Amethyst, pointing above it, where they could see three figures with wings, flying in their direction.

Sapphire plucked a spell bead from her bracelet and held it up between two fingers. It flashed, answering the sudden light from her belly gem.

"To save a life, to save the day, help those fairies find their way!"

The bead flew up above the trees and turned into a large arrow with the word "HERE" on it pointing down at them.

A minute later the three fairies landed, reverting forms. All three were giggling.

"What's funny?" asked Sapphire.

"That sign," said Ahisa, "Silly but effective." She moved through the bushes.

Amethyst and Sapphire exchanged a look and followed the tall girls back into the clearing.

"Let's get her on the table," said Amaryl.

Mirta's eyes snapped open, and she looked up at the new people surrounding her. They were fairies all right, she could feel their magic.

"Mirta? Are you okay?" asked a blond fairy, leaning over her.

'How did she know my name?' Mirta wondered.

Another blond fairy knelt beside her and took her hand. "Hey, it's us, your friends."

That confused the redhead even more. "Wha-? I don't know any fairies!"

"Mirta, we've been roommates since the new year started," said a third fairy, this one with black hair.

"Liars! You're just trying to confuse me!" She accused. Maybe Alfea had cooperated with the trolls to destroy Cloud Tower, and now they were trying to wrap up loose ends. She had to get away. Find a safe place and plan revenge for Lucy and Ms. Griffin and everyone else.

As weak as she was, there was one thing Mirta knew she could still do; use her base power of converting emotions to pictures. And these fairies were giving off a lot of emotion.

The fairies and trolls were surprised when several large wolves jumped up on the stone table, growling and looking at them with an eye to having lunch.

Everyone gasped and stood up, going into defensive postures, as she thought they would. She rolled over and started to crawl away, hoping the illusion would last long enough.

"Star Power!" shouted one of the blonds, transforming. She flew up a few feet and a bright ball of magic formed in her hand.

"Amaryl, wait!" called the black haired one, "They aren't real! Mirta's power, remember!"

"Oh, yeah," said the fairy, embarrassed. The ball dissipated and she dropped to the ground, reverting to human form.

Darn, they knew! How did they know? No time to worry about that, got to get away...

"Aren't real?" asked Ruby.

"Nope," said Kimmy. She stepped over and waved her hand through the wolves, which broke the illusion and they vanished.

"Where do you think you're going?" said Onyx, grabbing Mirta by the leg and preventing her from going further. The others turned and helped, bringing her back to where she had been. She struggled weakly, but finally had to give up.

"Okay, you've got me," she gasped. But only until I regain my strength, she thought.

Amaryl knelt beside her. "Mirta, listen to me. You're here because a spell went wrong. You got an incomplete headache cure on you, and it caused a loss of memory and the headaches you're having. We've got a remedy with us, and if you don't take it very soon, you are going to have a stroke and die!"

"No..." Mirta said, but weakly.

"Mirta, please, you've got to trust us!" said Kimmy.

"You're our friend, and we love you," said Ahisa. "We would never hurt you." she started to add 'deliberately, anyway', but decided that wouldn't be a good idea.

The half-witch looked up at the strange fairy, wonder on her face.

"Think!" said the one with black hair, "How do we know you? Ask us anything."

Mirta lay still, thinking. As she did, she felt a little strength return. Maybe, in a few more minutes, if she could keep them talking...

"Where am I from?" she asked.

"Casyopea," said the fairy with darker blond hair.

"You're an only child, and your parents aren't happy with you becoming a fairy," said the other blond.

"I'm not a fairy..." she protested.

"Yes, you are," said the first blond. "Let me refresh your memory." And she launched into an abbreviated version of what happened, Mirta helping against the Trix in the Alfea War, and the next semester transferring from Cloud Tower. She was rooming with the three of them, Amaryl, Kimmy, and Ahisa.

"Tell her the rest," urged Kimmy.

Amaryl sighed, and told her about the prank she had tried to pull, and how it had gone wrong.

Mirta lay and listened, feeling her strength returning. Soon, now...

As Amaryl talked, Topaz moved back to cradling Mirta's head in her lap and massaging it. She looked at the troll in wonder, and Topaz returned a smile. It felt wonderful, and the lingering pain was receding. The other four trolls were standing back, watching and listening.

"I'm so sorry, Mirta. I'd never hurt you for anything," said Amaryl. "I just wanted to have a little fun."

Could it be true? she thought, reviewing events since she found herself in this place last night. She had been the aggressive one, blasting Topaz, then later ambushing her. Despite that, the trolls had not actually tried to hurt her, just stop her.

The jumble of memories came to her, and she saw these fairies at Alfea, in classrooms and what was probably a dorm, from her own point of view.

Well... she had no actual proof that anyone had attacked Cloud Tower... it was what she had assumed. And these trolls and fairies weren't acting like she was an enemy... if they had wanted to kill her, they could have done so without all the talking.

She'd always thought fairies were kinda rockin' anyway...

She nodded. "Okay, I think I believe you."

They gave a collective sigh of relief, and Kimmy brought out the cure. Amaryl took it from her and opened it. From behind, Topaz helped her sit up a bit, and the blond fairy put the phial to her lips. It probably wasn't poison, Mirta thought, there were easier ways of getting rid of a witch.

The potion was cool and sweet going down, and when the last was swallowed Topaz brought her head back to her lap.

"You rest and let it work," Topaz said. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

She took the advice, feeling her strength growing back. Then she looked at the amber-eyed troll, who was smiling back and stroking her head.

"Why? I hurt you. You should be taking revenge," she said.

"Not your fault," said Topaz, "You needed help."

Suddenly Mirta gasped and closed her eyes. She saw what she thought were several flashes of light behind her eyes, and a moment of white blankness. When it disappeared what she remembered seemed to be scrambling around, returning to their proper places in the flow of time. Missing memories faded into view and restored the continuity to the accident. Now she understood and knew what had happened.

She relaxed, opening her green eyes and seeing the fairies for the friends they were. She smiled.

"Hi, guys..." she said. "Thanks for coming to get me."

Amaryl burst out crying and wrapped her arms around the half-witch, and Mirta returned the hug.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

An hour later, the four fairies, the BFFL, and Obsidian were sitting at a picnic table, eating lunch. The old troll had packed it before following them out to the park, and now that the crisis was over, it was time to celebrate.

Mirta had taken the last of her healing potion so was feeling much better. She got the box of burgers and drinks and added it to the food.

Apologies were made all around, and Mirta forgave Amaryl. She told Kimmy and Ahisa that they had nothing to be sorry for, but if it made them feel better, they were forgiven too.

Mirta explained her history to the trolls, and that, while she was in training to be a fairy, she still had a lot of dark magic within.

"I'm glad to learn all witches aren't evil," said Topaz. "But after meeting those other three, I was wondering."

"Nobody is all one thing or the other," said Ahisa.

"Oh, Amaryl," said Sapphire, "Did you recover that spell bead you tried to use?"

"Yeah, I've got it in my room. Once in a while, I try to activate it. So far, nothing," she replied.

"Well, good luck with that," said the blue-haired troll.

"Let me know if you ever do manage it," said Obsidian, "It would be a first."

New friendships were made between the trolls and fairies.

Trolls going through the park were wondering at the tall people, and some even came over to see what was going on. The idea that the general troll population would accept the taller people gained more support. Simon was still around, and taking care of him was still a priority. Until that happened, the trolls would not rejoin the rest of the Magical Dimension.

"Topaz, I want to thank you," said Mirta, taking a sip of Trolla-Cola. "You were afraid of me, but you still tried to help even after I hurt you."

The blond troll-girl smiled. "Yeah, I was afraid, but once I knew what was going on, I had to help." She gave Mirta the once-over. "And I still want to help you."

Puzzled, Mirta said "Help me how?"

"You could really use a fashion makeover," was the answer.

"What's wrong with her clothes?" Onyx, interjected, "I think they look good."

Topaz eyed her dark friend. "You would."

Everyone laughed.

"I'll... keep it in mind," said Mirta.

Topaz started to say something else, but Amethyst caught her eye and mouthed to drop it, which she reluctantly did.

Lunch wound down and they policed the table before heading for the park entrance. They decided to go back to Obsidian's spell shop and contact Faragonda.

Obsidian caught a taxi, being still weak from the long-distance portal spell. The BFFL took their skoots, and the fairies transformed and flew.

wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl

They found the Alfea headmistress was already on the crystal ball, and told her what happened, and that Mirta had recovered.

Faragonda told them a Red Fountain ship was on the way, and to expect a call from the Trollzopolis Airport soon.

To pass the time the BFFL took the fairies around the mall and showed them their favorite stores. More trolls came over to meet them.

They spotted their school rivals Coral, Opal, and Jade in the food court, and made sure to parade by them. The three cheerleaders sat with their mouths open, staring at the tall girls with the Best Losers For Life (as they thought of them). When they came back by, Ruby took great pleasure in introducing the cheerleaders to the faires, and leaving them stunned.

They also found their boyfriends at the arcade and introduced them to the fairies.

By the time they got back to Obsidian's Spellz, the Red Fountain ship had arrived. They took their leave of the old troll woman and the fairies flew behind the troll girls who guided them to the airport. They nearly caused more than one accident along the way.

Finding the RF ship was easy, and they discovered the pilot once again to be Spencer, who had become Priscilla's boyfriend after the Alfea War.

At the foot of the ship, Mirta turned to the trolls and squatted down.

"Thank you all so much!" she gave each one a hug. "I hope we'll meet again, under better conditions."

"Me too," said Sapphire.

"Same here," added Amethyst.

"You fairies are so much fun!" said Topaz.

"we're glad we could help," said Ruby.

"Just try not to let it happen again," smirked Onyx.

Amaryl, Kimmy, and Ahisa also gave the trolls a hug, and with a last wave, went up the ramp into the ship.

The BFFL moved away, and for the second time watched as the ship took off for Magix.

wc/bffl wc/bffl wc/bffl

The four fairies were dropped off at Alfea, and Spencer took off for Red Fountain. They found Ms. Faragonda, Ms. Griselda, and Professor Palladium waiting for them.

"How are you, dear?" asked Faragonda.

"I'm fine now, ma'am," said Mirta.

"Well, you're going straight to the infirmary and be checked out," said Griselda, "Come with me."

Nurse Ophelia gave Mirta a thorough examination and kept her overnight for observation. The next morning she was declared healthy and released.

Heading back to the dorm she was swarmed by the other students, who wanted to know what happened, and told her they were glad she was back. That made the half-witch feel much better about attending the school. She had more friends than she thought.

After a shower and change of clothes, the four roommates went to Faragonda's office, where they were expected. Griselda and Palladium were there as well.

"Young lady, the stunt you pulled is the kind of thing that can get you expelled," said Griselda.

"Yes, ma'am, I know," answered Amaryl with guilty expression. She hung her head.

"Ma'am?" interrupted Mirta, "She's really sorry, and I've forgiven her. She's still my friend, and I want to ask you not to do that." She put an arm protectively around the blond fairy.

"That's the punishment for such a foolhardy action!" the severe teacher exclaimed, adjusting her glasses.

Ahisa stepped forward. "Kimmy and I are just as guilty. We ask for the same punishment."

Kimmy nodded her agreement. "we didn't try as hard as we should have to talk her out of it."

"No, you can't do that!" said Amaryl, turning to them.

"We can and will," said Kimmy, with resolve in her voice.

"Well, if you insist," said Griselda, "I declare..."

"If you throw them out, I'll leave too," said Mirta.

Griselda stared at the redhead in shock. But before she could answer, Faragonda spoke up.

"That's the attitude of real fairies. Forgiveness and reconciliation with those who did wrong," said the headmistress. She stood and stepped around her desk. "Admitting guilt and accepting the consequences. Determination to do better. Protecting friends." She smiled at the students, then turned to Griselda. "I think a lesson has been learned here, don't you?"

"As you say, ma'am," answered Griselda, tightly.

"You will not be expelled, but next time think before you act," she admonished.

"I will, ma'am, thank you," said Amaryl. She looked over at the other teacher who, to this point had said nothing. "Professor, I'm really sorry, and promise not to do anything like that again."

"Glad to hear it. You do realize there will be extra homework coming?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she answered. She'd expected that, at the very least.

"For all three of you, since you insist on sharing punishment," he added.

"Thank you, sir," chorused Kimmy and Ahisa.

"Is that acceptable, Mirta?" he asked, turning to the redheaded student.

"Yes sir, that seems fair. It was an ordeal, but I did learn something from it, met new friends, and saw a new place. I think the benefits are worth the trouble," she answered.

"With an attitude like that, I think you'll make a fine fairy someday," said Faragonda, "Now the four of you go get breakfast and reconnect with each other."

"Thank you ma'am," answered Mirta with a smile, and the four friends left the office, closing the door behind them.

The End


End file.
